Comelec: BSKE to push through unless postponement is enacted to law

MANILA, Philippines — The 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will push through on Nov. 2 unless a new law postponing them is enacted, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia said on Friday.

Garcia said the poll body would continue preparations for the elections, particularly the delivery of election materials to far-flung areas, including parts of Mindanao.

He said Comelec needs a clear decision on the proposed postponement by Sept. 28 so it can begin delivering election materials to remote areas by the first week of October.

“Ganyan na ka-critical, ang sinasabi natin, and sana po without pressuring anybody na maging maliwanag kung magkakaroon ng batas bago po mag 28 ng Setyembre. Aside from any other reasons, dapat by first week of October, kailangan nagde-deliver na kami [ng materials] sa malalayong lugar,” Garcia said.

(This is how critical it is, that’s what we’re saying, and hopefully, without pressuring anybody, that there would be a clear law before September 28. Aside from any other reasons, by first week of October, we should already be delivering materials to far-flung areas.) 

The poll chief said the continuation or postponement of the elections was in the hands of Congress.

“Ang pagpapatuloy o hindi [ng elections] ay wala sa aming mga kamay. Nasa Kongreso po ’yan,” he said.

(The continuation or not of the elections is not in our hands. It is in the Congress. But for us, from 1-10, we’re at 9 in our preparations.)

The Comelec has already spent P8 billion on preparations for the BSKE, as of Sept. 18, Garcia said. Another P11 billion will be allocated for training and preparing teachers.

“For us, from 1 to 10, we’re at 9 in our preparations,” Garcia said.

The BSKE was previously postponed in 2023, when the elections originally scheduled for December 2022 were moved to October 2023 under Republic Act No. 11935.

The Supreme Court later declared the law unconstitutional but allowed the October 2023 elections to proceed under the doctrine of operative fact. The Court also said the succeeding BSKE should be held in December 2025 under the previous law.

However, President Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12232 in August 2025, postponing the December 2025 BSKE to November 2026 and setting the term of barangay and SK officials at four years.

The latest proposal seeks to move the Nov. 2, 2026 elections to 2028 and extend the terms of barangay and SK officials from four to five years.

The Senate approved its version on Sept. 14, while the House had earlier approved its counterpart and subsequently adopted the Senate version.

The measure has been transmitted to Marcos for consideration but had not yet been enacted into law as of Sept. 18.

If signed, the measure would move the next BSKE to 2028, with succeeding elections to be held under the proposed five-year term. /dp